Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Christmas Treasures
We don’t do a lot compared to much of America’s Christmas decorating. I considered not decorating at all since it is a “different kind of Christmas” as Mark Schultz’s beautiful song puts it, due to the loss of a family member.
Thinking about Dickens’ Christmas Carol story, I realized that opposite of Scrooge, the ‘ghost’ of Christmas past was a treasure of memories for me. And so I share a few of those with you today.
Christmas stockings –
Dad, Mom,
Laurie, Cheri, Kevin
Hung since they were 1-1/2, 5 and 6 – for little gifts and a reminder behind them of the backstory of our family
Oh the childhood wonder of running down those stairs Christmas morning, to read the Gospel of Luke and to remember the backstory of Mary, Joseph and Jesus – the reason for the season.
Traditions grew with the family – and we added stockings until new 
families began their own Christmas traditions
…then we sent the grandkids stockings and their parents’ childhood homemade ornaments with them
But they always came home, and Doug started the tradition of serving pancakes to us on Christmas morning.
It was also Doug’s idea that we go back to the stockings… he noticed how the children were tearing open gift after gift, not appreciating what they had in their hands, and forgetting to say thank you to the giver. So we started a new tradition that the gift had to fit in the stockings. The limit was $7.50 and we’d sometimes find the “change” in the stocking with the gift. Simple gifts made or found with love – and just as appreciated ….perhaps more. But Grandma wondered – what will we do with all the time we used to spend after the reading of the 
Christmas story opening gifts? The children said they would play music, sing and make puppet shows. and so they did. I recall Michael about 4, playing Frank’s guitar standing upright, like an upright Bass, Aimee playing the flute, then Ben, Kristin m Kim and David doing a puppet show and Faith singing silly songs, and later Aimee spending hours with all the younger kids creating amazing life-size objects that held Christmas gifts.
Nowadays we have a tiny tree-shaped garland that hangs on the wall, with meaningful ornaments. Like this handmade woodsman, from a nursery school child. and the nail, reminding us of 
the cost of our ultimate gift.
The angel ornament on the left was made by children from Lydia’s home in Chicago – a reminder that giving is also 
a central reason for the season. The angel on the right, crocheted by an elderly aunt, a 
reminder of family gone before and on the Genesis window JOY, made by my sister-in-law Bette (now in Heaven with our David, and our Laurie and Debbie, and Marcus and many other loved ones)… JOY – in memories of Christmases past – JOY in knowing there is HOPE for our future … generation to generation. 
I remember Laurie, Cheri and Kevin reciting a little poem of the meaning of JOY – Jesus – Others – You – and it is so true – whatever the circumstance, if I look to Christ, I get an eternal perspective, and when I do something for others it brings me joy. My children all believe and practiced giving joy to others.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. (3John 4)
Another precious memory is sharing this verse from Isaiah and others with my Daddy and imagining the hills, and the mountains, and all of creation bursting with songs of JOY.
Is. 55:12 “So you’ll go out in joy,
you’ll be led into a whole and complete life.
The mountains and hills will lead the parade,
bursting with song.
All the trees of the forest will join the procession,
exuberant with applause.”
6 Comments on “Christmas Treasures”
Leave a Reply
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 
I love Mark Schultz’s song. I found it last year and it helped me get through Christmas. But it also made me realize that every Christmas would be different for a million different reasons….
LikeLike
Hi Lyndie, I agree – we tend to try to recreate beautiful moments of the past, or to match them. A good point to look for new joy despite the different paths of today and tomorrow. Here is the link to A Different Kind of Christmas for any who might not have heard it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PBEMfbWq_Y
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing your precious memories, Delores. A very touching post!
LikeLike
And thank you for being a part of my life. A Blessed Christmas to you!
LikeLike
Beautiful. Thank you. This is my favorite time of year. Love to decorate. Love to shop for that perfect gift that says, “I love you.” Love the music. Listened to “10,000 Joys” several times on u-tube yesterday. Cried buckets of tears of joy.
LikeLike
Mary, I hadn’t heard Ten Thousand Joys. Thanks for sharing a beautiful song. I have certainly had many joys in my life, and recalling them is a blessing. Here is the link for others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPFdUpQ9s7E
LikeLike